Niner Wine Estate is a family-owned winery dedicated to crafting artisan wines from three estate vineyards located in Paso Robles and Edna Valley wine country. Bootjack Ranch in the Paso Robles Geneseo District, Heart Hill Vineyard in the Paso Robles Willow Creek District, and Jespersen Ranch in Edna Valley.

They make all wines at their SIP Certified Winery at Heart Hill Vineyard. They are known for estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay as well as our flagship blend Fog Catcher; however, Niner wine grows a wide range of varietals and specialize in small lot bottlings.

History

After growing up on a farm in West Virginia, Richard Niner spent his career building small businesses across a wide variety of industries. One of his business ventures brought him to Paso Robles in the early 1990s and he was immediately drawn to the potential of both the land and the people who lived here. After a long search, Richard and Pam purchased their first vineyard, Bootjack Ranch, in 2001 and spent the next decade building a tasting room and winery, finding and planting two additional vineyards, and assembling the current team. In 2013 they retired and their son Andy took over the day-to-day management of the business.  

Vineyard and Winemaking

Mother Nature deals on different hands every vintage, giving us both desirable and undesirable results. Their goal is to take each block of the vineyards, treat them separately throughout the winemaking process, and ultimately craft well-balanced wines that highlight the unique qualities of the particular vineyard and vintage. This requires a level of intimacy that can only be attained by an integrated approach and years of experience. Winemaker Patrick Muran and Winemaker Molly Bohlman are dedicated to learning the nuances of all three sites and treat each vintage as an education.

Team

ANDY NINER, PRESIDENT

Second generation of the family, and started helping his parents with the day-to-day operation of the company in 2013
After studying economics at Colby College in Maine, Andy started his career working in finance for Cambridge Associates in Boston. He then moved to California and worked as a product manager in a small sunglasses company in San Luis Obispo, earning his MBA from U.C. Berkeley and spent several years working in strategic planning for Levi Strauss & Company in San Francisco. 
His love for the central coast and the importance of the family business ended up being the catalyst for joining the team. Outside of work Andy bikes, climbs, wears puffy vests and old raggedy New Balance shoes to Winemaker dinners, cooks, and spends time at home with his four-year-old daughter Cora (a.k.a. the official wine sniffer). 

PATRICK MURAN, WINEMAKER

A scientist by education whose love of the outdoors and the natural world lead him to winemaking. Patrick oversees our winemaking team, makes our wines from bootjack ranch and heart hill vineyard, and selects wines from Jespersen ranch.
Fresh out of UC Santa Barbara with a degree in Microbiology, Patrick worked his first harvest in 2000 at Orcutt Road Cellars. He spent the next several years working under venerated French winemaker, Christian Roguenant, where he developed a sincere respect for hands-on experience over book-learning when it comes to the art of winemaking. Patrick then headed to Santa Ynez, California, to become the head winemaker for Blackjack Winery where he focused on making small-production lots of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chardonnay. Patrick joined Niner Wine Estates in 2009 and was promoted to Winemaker in 2013. Outside of Niner, Patrick keeps busy cultivating new pursuits with his wife Heather, their 2 daughters, Kaylinn and Clare, and their Australian Shepherd, Bell. Patrick’s love of surfing has taken him all over the world and he is also an avid river rafter, backpacker and snowboarder.

MOLLY BOHLMAN, WINEMAKER

A grapevine salesman, vineyard manager, and enologist whose passion for pinot noir led her to winemaking. molly makes our wines from Jespersen ranch.
After an introduction to the world of wine during a study-abroad in the South of France Molly had the bug. She began her education at the University of Minnesota and finished it at Cal Poly with a BS in Fruit Science and a Minor in Wine & Viticulture. In the 20 years since, she has methodically worked across several functions within the industry seeking to understand sales, vineyard science, and winemaking-by-doing. In 2014, Molly came to Niner after working at Paul Hobbs Wines, where she was a winemaker for the Crossbarn brand. In her spare time, Molly enjoys spending time outside, crafting, and enjoying food and wine with family and friends. She lives in San Luis Obispo with her husband Daniel, and son Sawyer. 

Winning Wine

Niner Wine Estates have won many awards for their delightful wines including the Sommeliers Choice Awards 2020. This time Gold medal winner with 95 is Fog Catcher 2016.

The foundation of the 2016 Fog Catcher is a co-ferment of the best block of Cabernet Sauvignon with a small amount of Petit Verdot. After harvest, a selection of other noteworthy Bordeaux barrels were marked and tucked away into the cellar to mature. Nearly a year later, the Winemaker revisited each barrel to make his final decision on which barrels qualified for this wine. The composed blend is then returned to oak barrels for additional aging. The 2016 vintage of Fog Catcher is a harmonious blend of intriguing spice, dark fruits, and expansive tannins that linger on your palate for minutes after drinking. This wine is rewarding to drink in its youth, and the high potential it has for aging 10+ years is apparent.
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Online Order: Distributors or wine buyers can click here. Or reach out to the team on 805.226.4886